Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias criticised the European Commission’s proposals to reintroduce the Dublin II regulations effective March 14 regarding the return of refugees to Greece and Italy in an interview to German publication Die Welt. Mr. Kotzias was also critical of German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere who had suggested refugees whose asylum applications were turned down in Germany would be relocated to Greece. “Greece has shown has demonstrated great humaneness by accepting the refugees. A new wave of refugees in the summer would burden us excessively”, he said.

The top Greek diplomat continued by saying that Greece did not have the capacity of economic resources to receive refugees sent from the northern European countries. “Some countries in the European Union believe that southern Italy and Greece can be used as some kind of closed containers where someone can store refugees”, he underlined.